TEAMS and CAPTAINS

The men and women who make up the Captain Class were never the most skilled athletes, nor were they gifted orators or paragons of sportsmanship. They were often role players who were allergic to the spotlight. In short, the seven attributes they shared will challenge your assumptions of what inspired leadership looks like.

TEAMS

The Collingwood Magpies, Australian rules football; (1927-30)

The New York Yankees, Major League Baseball; (1949-53)

Hungary, men’s soccer; (1950-55)

Montreal Canadiens, National Hockey League; (1955-60)

Boston Celtics, National Basketball Association; (1956-69)

Brazil, men’s soccer; (1958-62)

Pittsburgh Steelers, National Football League; (1974-80)

Soviet Union, men’s ice hockey; (1980-84)

New Zealand All Blacks, rugby union; (1986-90)

Cuba, women’s volleyball; (1991-2000)

Australia, women’s field hockey; (1993-2000)

United States, women’s soccer; (1996-99)

San Antonio Spurs, National Basketball Association; (1997-16)

Barcelona, Professional soccer; (2008-13)

France, men’s handball; (2008-15)

New Zealand All Blacks, rugby union; (2011-15)

CAPTAINS

Syd Coventry, Collingwood Magpies

Yogi Berra, New York Yankees

Ferenc Puskás, Hungary

Maurice Richard, Montreal Canadiens

Bill Russell, Boston Celtics

Hilderaldo Bellini, Brazil

Jack Lambert, Pittsburgh Steelers

Valeri Vasiliev, Soviet Union

Wayne Shelford, New Zealand All Blacks

Mireya Luis, Cuba

Rechelle Hawkes, Australia

Carla Overbeck, United States

Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs

Carles Puyol, Barcelona

Jérôme Fernandez, France

Richie McCaw, New Zealand All Blacks

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“Well-researched, wildly entertaining, and thought-provoking.

In The Captain Class, Sam Walker presents compelling narratives about the secret ingredient to the greatest teams of all time – and quickly has the reader reexamining long-held beliefs about leadership and the glue that binds winning teams together.”